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Mississippi River bridge crash victim ID'd, was picking up chain off the road

mississippi river bridge baton rouge.jpg

Motorist Assistance Patrol worker Jim Gilmer got out of his truck on the Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge to remove a chain from the road when he was hit and killed.
(Photo by Brett Duke, NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune)

The collision occurred at about 9:20 a.m. on the westbound side of the I-10 bridge, police said. Gilmer got out of his pickup truck in the center lane and put his hazard lights on. Gilmer was standing in front of his truck when ab loaded Freightliner 18-wheeler rear-ended it, causing the pickup to hit him.

The driver of the 18-wheeler was identified as Davie Coussore, a 62-year-old resident of Dade City, Fla. He was not injured and was cited for careless operation of a vehicle. Police said the investigation is ongoing and more charges are possible.

Alcohol was not a factor in the crash, police said.

DOTD spokeswoman Jodi Conachen said Gilmer worked for the Motorist Assistance Patrol as a truck operator for five years. The service helps stranded drivers with tasks like fixing flat tires and jump starting cars, and Conachen said it assists 16,000 drivers annually.